No name strikes more fear into the heart of a galactic fugitive than that of Boba Fett. The famed bounty hunter's cool, helmeted visage is known to the denizens of countless worlds, though few have ever encountered the mysterious warrior, and fewer still would have any clue to his true identity or face.

The product of Kaminoan cloning, Boba Fett was the unaltered clone and son of Jango Fett, a Mandalorian hunter no less deadly in his day than his progeny. Trained in the techniques of his people and gifted with his father's cunning, young Boba follows in Jango's footsteps after the bounty hunter's untimely death on Geonosis. Boba Fett's trademarks are his instantly recognizable Mandalorian battle armor, his scorched jetpack and battered old Firespray interceptor Slave I, inherited from his father. All the bounty hunter's tools are custom fitted with modifications and improvements that grant him the edge in tracking and tackling his marks.

Through a military-style dedication to his art, native predatory instincts and an innovative battery of hidden surprises, Boba Fett has carved a reputation as the man who gets the job done. By the time he is recruited by Lord Vader to hunt down the Millennium Falcon during the Galactic Civil War, Fett has already become a feared and respected warrior, standing as an equal among the elite of his profession and the preferred contractor of Outer Rim crime lord, Jabba the Hutt. His successful tailing and capture of Han Solo allows him to collect double on the deal with both the Sith Lord and the Hutt, and also closes the books on a job that has occupied him for far too long.

Deep breath. Sigh. The very long-awaited one-sixth scale Boba Fett: The Empire Strikes Back (Bounty Hunter) figure, proudly created by Sideshow Collectibles, has become available to the collecting public. And its release may divide the those who collect the 1:6 Scale Figures line. Before you get too concerned, we will tell you right off the bat that the figure is beautiful. It’s easily the best high-end 12” scale figure on the market, but we wouldn’t call it perfect. And for a figure that is a penny shy of $175, we expect perfection. The few issues it has shouldn’t have skirted by quality control, so we’re slightly perturbed about that. That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy the figure. We don’t intend to flip flop with our opinion from good to bad opinions of Boba Fett, but if we didn’t tell you like it is, what good could this review serve your collecting needs? First and foremost, the Prometheus body type hasn’t looked better on a Star Wars character and that’s because Sideshow Collectibles already have an updated version of it that they used here on Boba Fett. The slightly retooled Prometheus 1.1 body type is a significant upgrade here as it gives Boba Fett a little bit of junk in the trunk as well as better form (thinner) in key areas where soft-goods tend to bunch-up and make him look bulky. That, for the most part, has been remedied and the final results are pretty fantastic. But Boba Fett lacks in two “key” areas and we find this very disconcerting. Before we air what bothers us, we do want you to know that we are happy with the purchase and can’t wait for Sideshow Collectibles to attack an Episode VI version of Boba Fett. Hopefully they can move past the learning curve and knock out a truly perfect version of him from Return Of The Jedi.

Boba Fett, like the earlier released Medicom Toy's Real Action Heroes Boba Fett figure has sewn on armor pieces in the chest and color and both utilize a similar hook-up function for the jetpack. Obviously the Medicom Toy version and Sideshow’ version are two different scales, but obviously this is the best way for both figures to apply the armor detail. But unlike the perfect angle that the jetpack of the Medicom Toy Boba Fett figure has, the jetpack on Sideshow’s version leans much too inward towards his helmet. It looks like it is drooping and cannot be corrected no matter what you do (and it’s not like you have any options actually to fix this). The tall tip of the jetpack doesn’t stand erect and we find this very disappointing. How could this not be noticed and remedied before final approval? The other issue we have is the thickness of the vest where the armor attaches. Now it’s important to note that the armor looks fantastic, but the soft-goods vest isn’t tailored enough and is baggy around the edges of the waist. This gives Boba Fett an unnecessary “thicker” look in the midsection. And we all know how athletic his body form was in The Empire Strikes Back, so this is a disappointment. Those are the two glaring issues we have with Boba Fett. And that’s about all we’re going to complain about here. Moving along, Boba Fett comes with plenty of accessories, but you’re not overwhelmed when itemizing them and interchanging them with the figure. He still have a couple too many hand attachments, but other accessories like the utility tools for his fatigues or his blasters are the most perfect accents for this figure. (But you already knew that.)

Boba Fett: The Empire Strikes Back (Bounty Hunter) comes with an environmental light-up display stand and if you secured the Sideshow Exclusive version of him, you also got the standard display stand but decorated with the Mandalorian Clan symbol – the same one that is emblazoned on his right breast. (It’s awesome.) Both display stands interact wonderfully with the figure, but we have to say that we’re more partial to the environmental version. And once Sideshow releases all of the bounty hunters, it will be amazing to see them all displayed on the bases that glow with that memorable Bespin carbon-freezing chamber orange light. Boba Fett is extremely flexible thanks to a great base body type, but his clothing has been exactly fitted with just enough room to allow for required movement. We did notice however that the alternate hand attachments are very hard to switch out. We slipped a couple of times trying to force them into the slots and it’s quite nerve-wracking since there are so many finely sculpted structures on his gauntlets.... so be very careful! Sideshow worked in a flexible wire into his cape which is a first for a figure in this scale. It’s great because it allows the cape to be place in any position and it keeps a very natural drape should you decide to pose Boba Fett simply at attention. Sideshow Collectibles’ Boba Fett: The Empire Strikes Back (Bounty Hunter) 1:6 Scale Figure will absolutely make you a very happy collector. If you can forgive its few very small faults, you’ll find you have a phenomenal recreation of the most notorious bounty hunter there ever was. And what more could you possibly want for your one-sixth scale collection?

Collector Notes

Boba Fett: The Empire Strikes Back (Bounty Hunter)

Announcement Date: July 20, 2011

Pre-order Date: September 16, 2011

Status: Boba Fett is an all-new figure that utilizes the Prometheus 1.1 body type. This figure type boasts newly developed and sculpted forearms and chest parts. A highly detailed Mandolorian Boba Fett helmet has been especially created for this figure.